Systems and methods for dynamic user interface population

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatic population of user interface elements on one or more client interfaces are disclosed A user's previous configuration can be retrieved from a local or remote server configuration data store including a plurality of configuration definitions. Configuration definitions can include one or more user interface elements that have one or more requirements for data. A data aggregator can be configured to retrieve the data required by each of the one or more user interface elements of the selected configuration definition from one or more databases. A display generator can store a plurality of renderable structures defining a display, incorporating the received data of the one or more user interface elements of the selected configuration definition of the client interface. In embodiments, each of the one or more client interfaces can be further configured to receive data inputs from the identified user of the client interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for automatic population of user interface elements on one or more client interfaces, based on a configuration specific to an identified user of each of the one or more client interfaces, the system comprising:
 a user history server comprising a data store including a previous facility attribute for each one of a plurality of users;   one or more facility configuration servers, each comprising:
 a configuration data store including a plurality of configuration definitions, each configuration definition associated with one or more of the plurality of users and including one or more user interface elements having one or more requirements for data, and 
 a configuration request interface configured to provide a selected configuration definition for an identified user by:
 selecting a configuration definition from the configuration data store of the facility configuration server that is associated with the identified user if the configuration data store includes at least one configuration definition associated with the identified user, and 
 
 if no configuration definition is associated with the identified user in the configuration data store, requesting the previous facility attribute for the identified user from the user history server, and requesting a selected configuration definition for the identified user from the facility configuration server associated with the previous facility attribute for the identified user; 
   a data aggregator configured to retrieve the data required by each of the one or more user interface elements of the selected configuration definition from one or more databases; and   a display generator for each of the one or more client interfaces configured to store a plurality of renderable structures defining a display of the one or more user interface elements of the selected configuration definition of the client interface, the display incorporating the retrieved data.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more client interfaces is further configured to receive data inputs from the identified user of the client interface. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more the client interfaces is configured to provide a user location to the facility configuration server. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more client interfaces comprises a global positioning system receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more beacons, each beacon arranged at a known location and configured to detect a presence of one of the one or more client interfaces within a range of the beacon. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more user interface elements comprises an element template defining one or more element parameters. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein each of the one or more user interface elements comprises an element instance including a display format, an update frequency, and one or more instance parameter values, each instance parameter value having a corresponding element parameter. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the data aggregator is configured to retrieve the data required for each element instance of the selected configuration definition at an interval based on the update frequency of the element instance. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each configuration data store further includes an association between a configuration definition and at least one of a user location, a user role, and a combination of the user role and the user location, and
 wherein the configuration request interface selects a configuration definition for the identified user by performing one of:
 selecting the configuration definition associated the user location of the identified user, if one exists; 
 selecting the configuration definition associated with a user identity of the identified user, if one exists; 
 selecting the configuration definition associated with the combination of the user role and the user location of the identified user, if one exists; 
 selecting the configuration definition associated with the user role of the identified user, if one exists; or 
 selecting a default configuration definition. 
   
     
     
         10 . A method for automatically populating user interface elements on one or more client interfaces based on a configuration specific to an identified user of each of the one or more client interfaces, the method comprising:
 storing a previous facility attribute for each one of a plurality of users;   storing a plurality of configuration definitions, each configuration definition associated with one or more of the plurality of users including one or more user interface elements having one or more requirements for data;   providing a selected configuration definition for an identified user by
 selecting a configuration definition from the configuration data store of the facility configuration server that is associated with the identified user if the configuration data store includes at least one configuration definition associated with the user, and 
 if no configuration definition is associated with the identified user in the configuration data store, requesting a selected configuration definition for the identified user from the facility configuration server associated with the previous facility attribute for the identified user; 
   retrieving the data required by each of the one or more user interface elements of the selected configuration definition from one or more databases; and   storing, for each of the one or more client interfaces, a plurality of renderable structures defining a display of the one or more user interface elements of the selected configuration definition of the client interface, the display incorporating the received data.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving data inputs from the user of each of the one or more client interfaces. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining a user location of the identified user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the user location is determined by a global positioning system receiver. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the user location is determined by detecting a presence of the client interface within a range of one of one or more beacons arranged at known locations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more user interface elements comprise an element template defining one or more element parameters. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each of the one or more user interface elements comprise an element instance including a display format, an update frequency, and one or more instance parameters, each instance parameter having a corresponding element parameter. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the data required for each element instance of the selected configuration definition is updated at an interval based on the update frequency of the element instance. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising storing an association between a configuration definition and at least one of a user location, a user role, and a combination of the user role and the user location,
 wherein a configuration definition for the identified user is selected by performing one of:
 selecting the configuration definition associated the user location of the identified user, if one exists; 
 selecting the configuration definition associated with a user identity of the identified user, if one exists; 
 selecting the configuration definition associated with the combination of the user role and the user location of the identified user, if one exists; 
 selecting the configuration definition associated with the user role of the identified user, if one exists; or 
 selecting a default configuration definition.